Educator receives prize for service

January 25, 2013

Music educator José Antonio Abreu was awarded the Notre Dame Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America at a ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela.

Administered by the university's Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Notre Dame Prize recognizes leaders who enhance their region's welfare. The award celebrates the significant role public figures play in improving the well-being of Latin American citizens.

Trained as an economist and a conductor, Abreu founded El Sistema, a Venezuela network of orchestras and educational centers, as a means of fighting poverty and violence and developing successful young people through classical music.

First awarded in 2000, the Notre Dame Prize is funded by a grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The award carries a $15,000 cash prize, with a matching amount donated to a charitable organization recommended by the laureate.